Entwined With the Villainous Guardian
Chapter 215: Pride Or Love?

Chapter 215: Pride Or Love?

Viviana looked at his tall back. Every time he stood in front of her, he ended up protecting her. The pandemonium she heard in the hallway didn’t scare her anymore.

She hooked her finger in his belt loop and closely followed him. There was a gunfight going on between the two factions. She didn’t know who was fighting. But she didn’t care much.

Leander was walking like a battle steed charging in the front lines. He had his gun in his hand but he didn’t make a single shot. There were four men on both sides of them walking with them and shooting. Viviana figured that they are protecting their boss.

When Leander stopped, she stopped with him. By then, the gunshot sounds had died down. She peeked from behind Leander hearing a laugh.

Nicholai Palatini was laughing with his gun in his hand. He pulled the trigger but she only heard clicking noises. He must be out of ammo. Helena was standing by his side with her hands covering her ears.

A group of men was dead around the Palatini couple. There was blood everywhere and she didn’t want to analyze the scene much. It would give her nightmares.

Viviana looked around her. All of the men around her were training their weapons on Helena.

Helena?

She let go of his belt loop and looked up at the tall figure in front of her. She didn’t want to think that this shooting was done to capture Helena because she led her to Evander.

But no matter what, it does look that way.

She was stunned. She didn’t believe that Leander would go this far for her. Helena was the woman he loved. And for her, he had gone this far? Why? Am I that special to him? Or is it a pride thing?

But she is pregnant!

"Are you going to kill her? Come on! Do it!" Nicholai pushed Helena to the front.

Leander scoffed and pointed his gun at Helena’s abdomen. "You should have run away when I gave you a concession, Palatini. But you opted to attack me first," he scoffed. "And here you are...hiding behind your wife. Pathetic!" he clicked the safety off.

Viviana could understand that Leander didn’t start the fight. Palatini did. But Helena’s life is in danger now. She did not like to see Leander pointing the gun at the baby. The baby is the most innocent being among them all. He cannot die in this fight!

She heard footsteps behind her and turned. A group of men holding guns charged from behind. Nicholai Palatini laughed.

"You thought I didn’t plan before trying to take the lion of the Kastello family?" Nicholai laughed. "Drop your guns!" he shouted.

Viviana gulped. Leander had eight men around him. And there were at least twelve men coming from behind them. She now understood why Leander took her with him. If she was left behind in that room, she probably would be dead by now.

"You too, Kastello! Drop your gun!" Nicholai scoffed. "As if I would let you hurt my heir!"

"You are smart dear," Helena spoke. "Now let us leave. Let your men handle them," she urged.

Viviana looked at Helena. Maybe she felt Viviana’s stare, and Helena turned to look at her. She curled her lips.

Helena scoffed at Viviana. Viviana was perplexed. What was that about? She didn’t remember ever hurting Helena. But it was obvious that Helena hated her.

Viviana wondered if Helena brought her to Evander because of the deal she made with Evander or because of spite. It would be both.

So, it is what it is...

Viviana took in a deep breath. She for some reason had a good feeling toward Helena till then and even felt sorry for her because she didn’t have the best of husbands. But she decided not to pity her anymore. Maybe her husband knows something she doesn’t. And maybe the rumors she heard from Gabby aren’t just rumors.

There is no smoke without fire, right?

Her attention turned to Leander. She could see that they were not in a very good position now. They have walked into an ambush and are now outnumbered. But she was not panicking as she could sense that Leander was calm. She looked around.

Steve was not there!

How about that! Such an important time and Steve is not standing beside Leander? There should be more to it!

"Take out that woman first!" Nicholai commanded.

Viviana smiled and turned around. The men all pointed their weapons at her. Leander turned and pulled her to his embrace and took the first shot.

The guy directly in front of her fell on the floor. The other guys opened fire and Viviana’s sight went dark as she was pushed to the back again. She expected more gunshots, but the entire place went silent.

Viviana turned to look at Nicholai Palatini. She found Steve.

Steve should be a ninja, she thought. Steve was now standing beside Helena and pointing his gun at her belly. Nicholai panicked and shouted for his men to stop.

But Leander didn’t stop his men. The Palatini members all were shot down by Leander’s men. One of Leander’s men was shot and the rest of Palatini’s men were dead.

"You were saying...?" Leander turned to face Nicholai.

Viviana covered her mouth and giggled seeing Nicholai pale as a sheet. For the first time she had known him, he tried to cover Helena from the guns pointed at her. But Steve was nimble. His gun was still at Helena. So were the other guns.

Leander pulled her closer. Her back rested on his chest and she looked at Helena. She was not scoffing or smirking anymore. She was crying holding her belly.

Viviana’s emotions changed immediately after seeing the tears on Helena’s face. What was she feeling before? Pride, probably. Standing by the man who won the war gave her a weird feeling that was novel to her. And when he pulled her closer to him as if he was saying that she is his to celebrate his victory with him... it made her feel special.

But Helena’s tears brought her down from that high.

An innocent baby’s life is in danger!

It was sad that the parents didn’t care for the baby’s life. But that doesn’t mean that the baby should be punished. Babies should not be punished for their parents’ transgressions.

She turned to look at Leander. "Leander..." she placed her hand on his chest.

Leander’s eyes which were predatory and exuding murderous intent softened as her hand touched his chest. He knew this was coming. His wife is pretty much known for her bleeding heart. He knew she will plead for Helena’s life.

He sighed. He never had the courage to go against her pleas.

But this is different. This is the Palatini family that had been enemies of their family for decades. There is not going to be another chance as perfect as this to eliminate the entirety of that family.

And this is not something he looked for. It was entirely Palatini’s fault. His grandfather would never forgive him if he let goes of this perfect chance given to him by the heavens.

"That woman colluded with Evander," he said. "And her husband put our life in danger."

He is in the right to end them.

Viviana looked into his eyes. "Yes," she said. She cannot refute that. "But she is pregnant."

She searched his eyes to see what he was feeling. He was looking at her and she could see her reflection in his eyes with darkness rising in them. But she saw gentleness. He was not angry at her. He was listening to her.

Tell me, Leander. Did you do it for your pride? Or for your grandfather? Or for your love for me?

She decided to find out.

She turned to look at Helena. With her palms together, Helena was looking at her pleading. Nicholai was trying his best to cover her belly but was failing. He had nine guns pointed at them. And he had no bullets. With what will save his... It appeared to Viviana that he cared more for his child, which in a way is acceptable.

At least he was a good father.

"It won’t take a second for my husband to end your entire line, Don Palatini," she told Nicholai. "You are in his grace now. Do you acknowledge that?" she asked.

Nicholai went silent. He wouldn’t beg for his life. But his heir is in danger...

"Everyone will know that..." she pointed at the cameras in the hallway.

If Leander sends a copy of the recordings everywhere, the pride of the Palatini family would be destroyed.

Viviana’s attention turned to Helena. "I want you to know that I am not pleading for your life to my husband, but for the innocent life you are carrying," she pointed at her belly.

Her fingers trembled a bit as she remembered the feeling of her baby on her hands. The baby needs to be protected. It’s too early for it to come to the world.

"Signora Palatini," Viviana spoke loudly for everyone to hear. "From now on I do not want to see your face anywhere. If I enter a building, you will leave through the backdoor without showing your face to me even if you were there first. The day I see you, is the day you die," she said without even a little shake in her voice.

She turned to Leander with her eyes misty.